List of Greek and Latin roots in English/L

L

Root Meaning in English Origin language Etymology (root origin) English examples lab-, lep- grasp, seize, take Greek (), (), () analemma, analemmatic, analeptic, catalepsy, cataleptic, dilemma, dilemmatic, epilepsy, epileptic, hypnolepsy, hysteroepilepsy, metalepsis, narcolepsy, nympholepsy, octosyllabic, procatalepsis, prolepsis, proleptic, proslepsis, syllabic, syllabism, syllable, syllabogram, syllepsis, trisyllabic, trisyllable lab-, laps- slide, slip Latin , collapse, collapsible, elapse, labile, lapse, prolapse, relapse labi- lip Latin , bilabial, bilabiate, infralabial, labial, labiate, labium, sublabial, supralabial labor- work Latin collaborate, collaboration, collaborative, collaborator, elaborate, elaboration, elaborative, elaborator, labor, laboratory, laborious lacer- tear Latin laceration lacrim- cry, tears Latin lachrymal, lachrymose, lachrymosity, lacrimal, lacrimation, lacrimator, lacrimatory, lacrimous lact- milk Latin , , ablactate, ablactation, lactary, lactase, lactate, lactation, lactational, lacteal, lacteous, lactescent, lactic, lactose, laitance, latte lag- hare Greek (lagós) lagomorph, Sylvilagus lamin- layer, slice Latin bilamellate, bilaminar, lame, lamé, lamella, lamellar, lamellate, laminate, lamination, laminose, laminous, multilaminar, omelet, omelette, trilaminar, unilaminar lamp- shine, torch Greek (), () lamp, lamprid, Lampris lapid- stone Latin , dilapidate, dilapidation, lapidarian, lapidary, lapidate, lapidation, lapidator, lapideous, lapidescence, lapidescent, lapidicolous, lapidification, lapillation, lapilli larg- large Latin allargando, enlarge, enlargement, largamente, largando, large, largess, largesse, largition, largo larv- ghost, mask Latin larva, larvae, larval lat- broad, wide Latin laticlave, latifoliate, latifundium, latitude, latitudinal, latitudinarian, latitudinous later- side Latin , ambilateral, ambilaterality, bilateral, bilaterality, collateral, contralateral, equilateral, extralateral, inequilateral, ipsilateral, lateral, laterality, matrilateral, multilateral, nonlateral, patrilateral, plurilateral, quadrilateral, semilatus, septilateral, trilateral, unilateral laud-, laus- praise Latin "to praise" laud, laudable, laudanum, laudation, Lauds, summa cum laude lav- wash Latin launder, laundry, lava, lavation, lavatory, lave, lavender, lavish, lotion lax- not tense, slack Latin , delay, disrelish, laches, lax, laxation, laxative, laxity, leasable, lease, relax, relaxant, relaxation, relay, release, relish, sublease lecith- egg yolk Greek () lecithin led-, les-, , hurt, strike Latin , , allision, collide, collision, elide, elidible, elision, illesive, lesion leg- say Greek (légein), (légesthai), (lektós), (lektikós), (léxis), (lexikós), (lexikón), (lógos), (logḗ), (legómenon), alexia, alexithymia, apologetic, apologia, apology, dialect, dialectic, dialectologist, dialectology, dialog, dialogue, dyslexia, dyslexic, dyslogia, dyslogism, ethnolect, legomenon, lexeme, lexicography, lexicology, lexicon, lexigram, lexis, logic, logion, logos, prolegomenon leg-, lect- choose, gather, read Latin coil, colleague, collect, collectible, collection, collective, collector, college, collegial, collegiality, collegian, collegiate, collegium, counterintelligence, cull, deselect, diligence, diligent, elect, electability, electable, electee, election, elective, elector, electoral, electorate, eligibility, eligible, elite, illegibility, illegible, ineligibility, ineligible, intellect, intellection, intellectual, intellectuality, intelligence, intelligent, intelligentsia, intercollegiate, lectern, lectin, lection, lectionary, lector, lectorate, lecture, legend, legendary, legendry, legibility, legible, legion, legionary, legionnaire, legume, leguminous, lesson, neglect, negligee, negligence, negligent, negligible, nonelective, nonelite, nonnegligible, nonselective, postelection, predilect, predilection, preelection, prelect, prelection, prelector, preselect, recollect, recollection, reelect, reelection, religion, reselect, sacrilege, select, selectance, selectee, selection, selective, selectivity, selector, superselection, uniselector leg- law Latin , allege, disloyal, disloyalty, extralegal, illegal, legal, legality, legific, legislate, legislation, legislative, legislator, legislature, legitim, legitimacy, legitimate, loyal, loyalty, nonlegal, privilege leg- send Latin (from ) allegation, delegable, delegacy, delegate, delegatee, delegation, delegator, delegatory, league, legacy, legatary, legate, legatee, legatine, legation, legato, nondelegate, relegate, relegation, superdelegate lei- smooth Greek () leiomyoma lekan-, lanx-, lanc- dish, pot Greek, Latin ( balance, lekane, phalanx, valance leni- gentle Latin , leniency, lenient, leniment, lenis, lenition, lenitive, lenitude, lenity leon- lion Latin , dandelion, Leo, leonine, Leopold lep- flake, peel, scale Greek (), () antilepton, lepidolite, Lepidoptera, Lepidorhombus, lepidote, lepidotrichia, leprosy lepto- small, fine, thin Greek () leptocyte, leptogenesis, Leptomonas, lepton, leptophyllous leuc-, leuk- white Greek () aleukemia, aleukocytosis, leucism, leucocyte, leucopenia, leucoplast, leukemia, leukocytopenia, leukopenia, leucophore lev- lift, light, raise Latin "lighten, raise", from "light" (in weight) alleviate, alleviation, bas-relief, counter-relief, deleverage, elevate, elevation, elevator, leaven, legerity, levade, Levant, levee, lever, leverage, leviable, levitate, levitation, levity, levy, relevé, relief, relieve, sublevation, superelevation liber- free Latin , deliver, deliverance, illiberal, illiberality, liberal, liberality, liberalize, liberate, , liberator, libertarian, liberticide, libertinage, libertine, liberty, ultraliberal libr- book Latin , interlibrary, libel, libellant, libellee, libellous, librarian, library, libretto lig- bind Latin , ligament, ligature limac- slug Latin , limacine, limacoid, limacon, Limax limpa- clear, water Latin "water" limpid, limpidity, lymph line- line Latin align, alignment, ambilineal, ambilineality, bilinear, collinear, collinearity, collineation, curvilinear, curvilinearity, delineate, delineation, delineavit, line, linea, lineage, lineal, lineament, linear, linearity, lineate, lineation, matrilineal, multicollinearity, multilinear, nonalignment, noncollinear, nonlineal, nonlinear, nonlinearity, quasilinear, realign, realignment, rectilinear, rectilinearity, sesquilinear, sublineage, sublinear, supralinear, trilinear, unilinear line- smear, smudge Latin delete, deletion, indelible, liniment lingu- language, tongue Latin bilingual, bilinguality, bilinguous, collingual, elinguation, interlanguage, language, ligula, ligular, ligule, lingua franca, lingual, linguiform, linguine, multilingual, prelingual, quadrilingual, sublingual, trilingual linqu-, lict- leave Latin , relict, relinquish lip- fat Greek () lipolysis, lipophile, lipophilic, lipopolysaccharide, lipoprotein, synaloepha liqu- flow Latin deliquesce, liquefy, liqueur, liquid, liquor, prolix lit- prayer, supplication Greek (), () litany liter- letter Latin alliteration, alliterative, biliteral, biliterate, illiteracy, illiterate, literacy, literal, literary, literate, literati, literatim, literation, literator, literature, multiliteral, nonliteral, nonliterary, nonliterate, obliterate, obliteration, preliterate, quadriliteral, transliteracy, transliterate, transliteration, triliteral, uniliteral lith- stone Greek () aerolithology, endolith, endolithic, epilithic, lithagogue, lithic, lithography, lithology, lithophile, lithophone, lithophyte, lithosphere, lithotomy, megalith, Mesolithic, microlite, monolith, monolithic, Neolithic, Paleolithic, photolithography, phytolith, regolith, stylolite loc- place Latin , accouchement, allocate, bilocation, bilocular, cislocative, collocation, couch, couchant, dislocate, dislocation, interlocal, lieu, local, locale, locality, locate, location, locative, locator, locomotion, loculament, locular, locule, loculose, loculus, locus, milieu, multilocal, multilocation, multilocular, nonlocal, relocate, relocation, translocate, translocation, translocative, trilocular, unilocular log-, -logy word, reason, speech, thought Greek (), () analogy, anthology, apology, biology, dialogue doxology, ecology, epilogue, etymology, eulogy, geology, ideologue, logarithm, logic, logogram, logopaedics, logophile, logotherapy, meteorology, monologue, morphological, neologism, neurology, philology, prologue, psychology, tautology, terminology, theology, toxicology, trilogy, zoology long- long Latin allonge, elongate, elongation, longa, longanimity, longe, longeron, longinquity, longitude, longitudinal, longum, lunge, lungo, oblong, prolong, prolongation, purloin loqu-, locut- speak Latin allocution, circumlocution, colloquial, colloquy, elocution, eloquent, eloquence, grandiloquent, interlocution, loquacious, loquacity, magniloquent, obloquy, soliloquy luc- bright, light Latin (genitive ), elucidate, elucidation, elucubrate, elucubration, lucent, lucid, lucidity, Lucifer (bearer of light), luciferase, luciferin, luciferous, lucifugal, lucubrate, lucubration, luculent, noctilucent, pellucid, pellucidity, relucent, semipellucid, translucency, translucent, translucid, translucidus lud-, lus- play Latin , allude, collude, delude, elude, elusive, elusory, illude, illusion, ludicrous, lusory, prelude lumin- light Latin , , dislimn, enlumine, illuminable, illuminance, illuminant, illuminate, illuminati, , illumine, intraluminal, limn, lumen, luminaire, luminal, luminance, luminant, luminaria, luminary, lumine, luminescence, luminescent, luminiferous, luminosity, luminous, relumine, subluminal, subluminous, superluminal, transluminal lu-, luv-, lut- wash Latin (see also , and ) abluent, ablution, alluvium, colluvium, deluge, depollute, diluent, dilute, dilution, dilutive, diluvial, diluvian, diluvium, elute, elution, eluvial, elluviation, eluvium, illuviation, illuvium, lutaceous, lutite, pollution lun- moon Latin circumlunar, cislunar, demilune, luna, lunar, lunate, lunatic, lunation, lune, lunette, luniform, lunisolar, mezzaluna, mezzelune, plenilunary, semilunar, sublunar, sublunary, superlunary, translunar lut- yellow, golden Latin , corpus luteum, luteal, lutein, luteinizing hormone, luteous ly-, lysi-, lyt- dissolving Greek (), (), (), () analyse, analysis, analytic, aparalytic, autolysis, catalyse, catalysis, catalyst, catalytic, cytolysis, dialysis, electrolysis, electrolyte, electrolytic, Hippolyte, hydrolysis, hydrolyte, hydrolytic, , lysine, lysis, lysosome, lytic, meta-analysis, palsy, paralyse, paralysis, paralytic, plasmolysis, proteolysis lyc- wolf Greek (lýkos) Lycaon, lycanthropy, lycopersicon, lycoris References